[HCIsland]

Essex, why does every cut have to be about shortening the film? Last I heard the film is three hours and twenty minutes long! I think it's obvious that he is given a tremendous amount of latitude when it comes to the length of these movies. You complain about him using the excuse of pacing, but pacing is extremely important, especially in such a long film. Personally, I don't know where the time goes when I sit and watch Rings on the screen.<P>There are natural times for movies to slow down and ramp up. I'm sorry you hate the Arwen scenes so much but they occur in natural places in the film. Dealing with Saruman after the movie has already climaxed is not the natural place.<P>You bring up the example of Darth Vader's death and it is a perfect illustration of when a villian should be killed. PJ could have followed this model. It would have been so easy. As the Ents are bashing Isengard the palantir shakes loose from it's pedestal and rolls across the floor. Saruman chases it but can't get there in time. The stone goes over the edge, Saruman reaches, loses his balance, and plundges to his death.<P>There, solved. The fact is Jackson didn't do this because he has respect for this character and tried to give him an end that reflects the spirit of what was in the book. The problem is, in the end, he obviously felt it wasn't working. Now which would you rather have? The lame-*** easy solution (and trust me, there is many a director that would have done something similar to that) or the scene Jackson intended, albeit we have to wait for it.<P>Actually, watching Mr. Lee's Saruman on screen, I suspect it is the very strength of the scene that is the problem. It is likely powerful and memorable but the problem is it doesn't lead anywhere and in the end only serves to distract the non-initiated viewer away from the story in King.<P>There are no indications that this cut was made for any other reason than to stregthen the film. I know we would love nothing better than to see nothing but a parade of scenes representing what was presented in the text, like a glorified illustrated version of the book, but Jackson is trying to make a movie here. A movie that stands up on it's own for both fans and non-fans of the book and personally, I think he's done a damn good job of it.<P>H.C.